I just recently started getting into that Greenwich village early folk scene
I considered nominating a few from this scene. John Jacob Niles or Odetta. But then I would change my mind at the last moment. If people react badly to Karen Dalton's voice, I can't imagine how they'd take to a weirdo like Niles.
[/quote]Dalton's voice made her an immediate standout for all the qualities you elegantly described. [/quote]
I found out about her about 12 years ago in some culture magazine my ex had laying around the house. Just on the description of that voice alone, I decided I would seek something out by her. And almost by some kind of kismet, I went to the record store that day and her second (and probably best) record was there. It is still the only time I've come across a copy of that anywhere in the real world. It was meant for me.
It seems her musical integrity was so strong that it was essentially an albatross to her career.
She's clearly a lot for some people. Her version of When a Man Loves a Woman could probably clear a room faster than nearly anything in my collection. And I don't think it's entirely that people think the sound of her voice is 'bad' to people (although I've definitely heard it described that way as well). I think there is almost a level of embarrassment that comes with listening to a voice that is so full of naked vulnerability. It makes people uncomfortable.
Awesome. Colter Wall has been one of the most authentic voices in country for awhile now. Western Swing and Waltzes is probably the album from him that I've listened to the most. Great stuff.
It's a good record.
Goat was a serendipitous discovery courtesy of the Apple Music algorithm. I heard "Run to Your Mama" for the first time a day or two before nominating it. I've since listened to the album two or three times. "Run to Your Mama" is a bit of an outlier, but the worldly influences throughout the album make for a fun listen -- especially if you're into dancing naked around bonfires while high on psilocybin. It strikes a nice balance between modern accessibility and primordial weirdness. Hope you dig it.
I'm more than happy for it to end up being nothing like I expect from that one song. I like not knowing what I'm stepping into when I put a record on for the first time. I'm also supernaturally gifted and picking records I know I'm going to like, without even hearing a note of it first. A good chunk of my collection was bought completely blind, and it has only generated good results so far.
Reply to Topic
Seriously, though, the field was hard. When you have a Final Round where George ****in' Harrison ends almost at the bottom, you know it is stacked.
Check out my podcast: 
